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The Original Rivalry

A handful of shows have been notes this week from The Simpsons to Shameless, but when the foundation of this project was being churned in the mixer, another show came to mind. The Mikaelsons on The Originals have one of the most intricately woven history that includes not only rivalry, betrayal and quite a load of bloodshed but also one of loyalty and in a twisted way, love.

This series showcases a lot of the aspects Connolly talked about that we touched upon at the start of the week. When they were younger their mother lost their oldest sister Freya to what we thought was disease, and in turn that caused her to be a little preoccupied with herself, and when Freya ended up not being dead – there was some animosity between she and her half-brother Klaus. Then you have the idea that they were all one another’s initial introduction to competition when they were younger. What I noticed though is what I talked about yesterday and the idea of labels. Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah are the “originals” in this whole thing, leaving their brothers Finn and Kol out. Over the course of the series we’ve seen those other brothers at odds with the trio and it may very well stem from the fact that they’re not part of the elite group the other three are.

We’ve also seen the trio almost take one another out over and over again. If there isn’t at least one episode each season that finds Klaus and Elijah in a massive battle – something is wrong. Despite their obvious differences in personality, they come from the same place and have seen the same highs and lows and as Joseph Bird said in To Live as Family, those shared backgrounds and interests bond us. They may fight and dagger one another but at the end of the day, you can see the love those three share and I’m sure that will never fade. I mean it might end when the show does soon – it’s on Friday nights and I’m not sure how long it can last there with The Vampire Diaries, which is two seasons past its due date. Nevertheless, while I’m 100% the animosity felt by Finn and Kol will never be resolved, I am certain nothing will ever tear apart Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah. Their history of running from their own father and facing a new enemy every other week has kept them close and while there is a fight for dominance between Elijah and Klaus at the core, they can’t shake the bond their history has created.